Misadventures of a Soul Collector
by AngelOfLorien
Summary: After the incident with the Antonia Graza, Jack is less than thrilled with his new position. His bosses are impatient, he is stuck in New England, and he has an unexplainable hesitation to kill his new assignment. Could it be any worse? EDITED!
1. Dreamscapes

He came to her in dreams.

It was as though she was drawn to him, she could not turn him away. Though she didn't know who or what he was, she knew that something about him was ... wrong.

He knew her. He knew what flowed in her blood, even though she did not. He knew what she feared and what she longed for, for it was the same thing.

_Him._

Not in the same lustful way that most mortals wanted him, no. This was different. It was a raw and overwhelming need. It was new. It was why he came back again and again. If he could make her break, even make her budge just a bit, and then he'd have her.

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**CHAPTER 1: Dreamscapes**

She sat in a claw-foot porcelain tub. It had been a long day, and as she sank into the thick bubbles that enveloped her, she sighed. This was heavenly. The chill of the water cooled her warm skin. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, letting the darkness take her.

He stood in the shadows of her mind, watching in silence. He watched her during her waking hours much as he watched her now. Silently, hidden from view. None of his other victims had affected him this way. He had taken them without thought or effort.

But her...he took out a cigarette as he watched her.

There was a goodness about her. It both drew him and repulsed him. He would break her, oh yes. Then he would make her his.

The sound of a match being struck pulled her back. She sat up with a start, splashing water over the edge of the tub. He was there. Leaning against the wall watching her. The skin on the back of her neck prickled. He pushed off the wall with his foot, taking a long drag on his cigarette. Slowly, taking his own time, he walked toward her.

Natalia sighed. However, this time it wasn't out of relaxation. It was out of weariness. And annoyance.

"What do you want?"

He grinned and threw his cigarette away. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued forward. "Don't get excited. I just came in for a friendly...chat."

She eyed him warily as he approached the side of the tub. She was uncomfortable, he knew, but she hid it well.

"You know Nattie, you have lovely shoulders." He trailed a finger over the curve. She shivered.

She was SO easy. He knew she was innocent, he could always tell. She was also strong. In reality, she would never allow herself to be in this situation. However, in dreams...well, dreams have a way of changing people. So he would have her here. Then, soon, he'd have her in reality.

"Why don't you just leave me alone? I've had a really trying day and I'm not in the mood for this sh--"

He cut her off when he chuckled. "Tsk tsk. Such language." He circled the tub and stopped at the foot. "Besides. I know you. And you," he said as he stepped into the water, "are always in the mood."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She sat up and tried to push him back. He caught her wrist in his hand and pulled her to her knees, one on each side of his legs. The wet denim of his jeans scratched her skin.

"Let me go."

The fire in her eyes blazed, turning them a glowing gold. But there was something else there, much to his delight. There was fear. And there was hunger. But the fear is what drove him on.

He tilted his head to the side, eyeing her closely. She struggled against his grip again. Water sloshed over the side of the tub. He tugged her hand, pulling her closer to him.

With his free hand, he brushed her wet hair from her face and felt her tremble. He smiled inwardly.

"It's alright. I'd never hurt you." _Liar, liar_ he thought to himself.

He slowly brushed his lips over hers, and when they parted, he kissed her sweetly. He felt the burning that came from evil touching innocence. He deepened the kiss, and dared to taste her tongue.

It was a delicious pain.

She pressed her assaulted lips together and took a steadying breath.

"You…" She was at a total loss for words. She was fascinated by the feeling of freedom, the feeling of raw passion that she had when he kissed her. Nevertheless, she could not let him do it again.

"I think you should go."

"You're probably right."

He did not like the feeling that he had gotten when he kissed her. It was almost as if he lost control there for a moment. This was NOT acceptable. He had business to do didn't he? He could not just go around…

He made the mistake of looking at her swollen lips and felt a driving bout of lust grip his stomach. Odd. That rarely happened. But the sleepy look that was in her eyes as they fluttered open snapped something in him.

To hell with business. This was going to be strictly for pleasure.

He grabbed a handful of her hair and kissed her, drinking her in like a man dying of thirst. The pain was there, but he pushed it aside.

_I have to do something. This is wrong. I have to do something,_ she thought.

She let her head fall to the side as he ran hot kisses down the column of her throat.

_Think Natalia. You need to…oh wow._

He was stroking her naked back with the tips of his fingers of one hand while pressing her closer with the other. He ran the tip of his tongue over the frantic pulse at the base of her throat. He kissed the line of her collarbone, then bit, and then brushed his lips over the reddened skin.

"Dammit, Nattie…" he hissed.

She twined her fingers in his short hair, pressing him closer. The hand that was stroking her back moved to brush at the thick bubbles that still clung to her. He smiled with devilish delight when her head fell back. He leaned his head down, running his tongue on the place above her heart. A new sensation swarmed through Natalia's blood. His mouth left her. She raised her head and was met with an equally fierce and passionate gaze. She leaned her head down and feasted on his mouth.

_Score one, Good guys,_ he thought. His eyebrows rose at the intensity of the assault on his mouth. Time to up the stakes a bit.

He laid her back into the water, cursing all those damn bubbles. He ran a hand down her torso, ran his fingertips over her navel, going lower until---

"GOOD MORNING NEW ENGLAND! It is now 6:32 in the a.m. so WAKE UP! We've got traffic coming up after this…"

Natalia shot up in bed. She pushed her hair back from her head and looked over at her cat who was watching her with a detached uninterest. She slapped her hand down on her alarm radio and lay back on her pillow.

Blowing a dark red curl out of her eye, she sighed. "Dammit."

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	2. Reality Bites

**CHAPTER 2: Reality Bites**

"Dammit dammit dammit!" Nattie cried as she kicked the vending machine. She hauled off for one more kick before turning and stalking down the hall.

"What's with you this morning?"

Nattie looked at her best friend and partner at the Starfish Diner. At 24, Deb Parker was the absolute picture of a young single woman in the 21st Century. Her long blonde hair fell in textured layers to her shoulders, while her clothes were superbly clean and well fitting. Nattie looked down at the cargo khakis and the tee designed like the British flag and pushed at the stubborn curl that always fell in her face.

Yikes.

"Hello? Earth to Nattie!"

"What? Oh." She started back to her desk. "Nothing. The machine took my money--AGAIN--and didn't give me my stupid chips. That's all." She sighed as she sat down. "That's all…." she said again, this time with more of a whine.

"Uh-huh. Riiiiiight." Deb paused, giving Nattie a once-over. Then she grinned.

"All that sexual frustration is taking its toll, Nat. I keep telling you, find a guy you think is hot, do him, and you'll feel a lot more relaxed."

Nattie shook her head at her friend, an incredulous look on her face. "You have no brain."

The sound of a throat clearing had them looking to the door at Gloria James, the perky new waitress and long time friend.

"Um, ladies. There is a, uh, gentleman here to see you." She mouthed the words 'oh my god' and rolled her eyes.

Curious, Deb peeked out the blinds that separated the offices.

"Damn. I wonder if he has a license for that mouth. Sweet Mary, Nattie, you gotta see this guy."

Amused, Nattie walked to the window. Deb thought that every male was a gift from the Almighty sent specifically for her to admire.

Making her way past the two oglers, she peered through the blinds and her blood froze. She could not see his face; his back was turned to her. But it was him. Somehow…Jesus, somehow it was him. But how? He was a dream. He wasn't real.

------

He was standing behind the counter with his elbows propped, staring out into the mix of diner customers.

_Stupid mortal sheep_, he thought to himself. What the hell? Why did he have to be stuck here just because he was a mean son of a bitch when he was alive? They couldn't put him doing something else. Nooo. He had to be here. In Mortal Land.

Woo.

He smiled sweetly at the little blonde girl who was eating ice cream and waving with her tiny sticky fingers and tried not to roll his eyes.

God, this sucked.

What was taking that dumb waitress so long to---ah, there it is.

He saw the blinds part, felt the wave of lust from the blonde woman looking out. He put on his best casual look. Jeez, her thoughts almost made HIM blush. He turned back to the crowd.

Nice person. Definite sinner.

…And there she was. He felt her gaze and hated the fact that his blood stirred. What was wrong with him?

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"Nattie? Hello?" Deb waved a hand in front of her friend's face. "You in there?"

"Yeah. It's just…" She looked at Deb. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"See? People that foxy shouldn't possibly be allowed to wreak such havoc on the populous." Grabbing Nattie's arm she led her out of the office. "Let's go see what he wants."

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_Ok. Here they come. Time to strategize. This was not her dreamscape. This was the real world. Alright, think. Time to be all smiles. Be nice, polite, and patient…_ He inwardly sighed.

He was going to apply for a transfer as soon as this job was over.

"Excuse me. You wanted to see us?" Deb tapped the young man on the shoulder and nearly drooled when he turned that silver-blue gaze to her.

"Hi. Yes, I am looking for the owner of this place. Ms.--" He stopped to look at a piece of paper. "Natalia Bennett. Is that you?"

"Nope. But it's her." Deb practically threw Nattie forward.

She did not want to look at him. It was too weird. What was going on? He was a figment of her suppressed sexual feelings. So why in the HELL was he standing in her diner, staring at her with those...amazingly...bright...eyes? No! She couldn't focus on that...she had to think.

"Are you alright?"

Nattie jumped like a rabbit. "Yeah. Yes. I'm sorry. Natalia Bennett." She extended a hand and shook his.

"Ferriman. Jack Ferriman. Jack to most people."

"So, how can I help you?" Nattie took a deep cleansing breath and brought her eyes to his.

"Well--ah, thank you." He took the coke that Deb offered, and raised his eyebrows when she didn't go anywhere. "Thank you very much?"

"Uh, Deb? Don't you have some work to do? Like, in the office?" Gloria said pointedly.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah." Giving Nattie a wink and grin, she sauntered off to the office.

"I'm sorry. You were saying?"

"Um, oh. I was wondering...do you want dinner? I mean, me? I mean..." He drew a breath. "I mean, would you like to have dinner...with me?"

"I don't know you. You came to my diner just so you could ask me out?"

"No. No, I uh, I came to your diner to eat. And talk to you about ... business. The asking you out thing was just kind of inspired." He cleared his throat and looked sheepish. _Oh, for fuck's sake lady. Take the bait._

"Well, actually, I don't date." She bit her lip. She did not date because she had never wanted to date. However, there was a time for everything. "…Usually. But, it's not every day that a complete stranger asks me to dinner," she said with a small laugh. She grinned a disarmingly sweet grin. "Pick me up at 8."

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	3. The Turning of the Tide

**Chapter 3: The Turning of the Tide**

Back at the crappy little hotel room that he was renting until this was over with, Jack sat in silence. A date. Wonderful. His bosses were just going to LOVE that.

He glanced at the clock. Quarter 'til 8. Where was he going with this? It was not like him not to plan. He thought EVERYTHING through, and when things went bad he just improvised. Granted, it hadn't turned out so well last time, but still...

Images popped into his mind of the first few...days? years?...in the Corridors. The screams from other people's torment the smell of blood and burning skin and death that would never come. Jack shuddered. He was a badass, but no one could think about that and keep from getting the chills.

He looked at the clock again. Time to go.

----

"COMING!"

Nattie rushed down the stairs and threw the door open.

"Hey, hooker. Whatcha doing?" Deb stepped in and shut the door behind her. "Wow. Look at you all sassy in your red skirt. Do you know how long it has been since I have seen you this dressed up? Mary Fielder's bachelorette party at the Rage. That was 8 months ago. Honey, I'm so excited!"

"I'm glad, because I think I'm going to throw up."

Nattie put a hand on her nervous stomach. She had closed her eyes for a few minutes earlier but had been plagued by dreams of screams and blood. She took a cleansing breath and looked in the mirror. She tugged at her red skirt and black tank, pulled up her red and black striped knee socks. .

"Look at me. I look like a Lydia doll."

"A what?"

"A Lydia doll. You know, Lydia. Beetlejuice? Nevermind."

"Nattie. Look at me. You are a beautiful and radiant 22-year-old woman. Tonight is your big night. Now I want you to listen to me. Are you listening?" When she nodded, Deb continued. "You are going to go out with this Jake guy--"

"Jack."

"Right. Anyway...You are going to go out with Jack, and you are going to have a great time, and then, honey, you are going to bring him back here, and you are going to have some sex. For the good of the both of us."

Nattie burst into a fit of giggles just as the doorbell rang. Deb tossed Nattie's red braids over her shoulders and tucked the stray curls back as she walked past.

She took one more steadying breath and opened the door.

He was wearing loose fitting jeans and a tight black tee shirt with the Zero skate company logo on it. His hair was styled with just enough carelessness to have it sticking up in places. Nattie smiled at his shoes. He wore black converse all-stars.

He was quite a remarkable sight.

His eyes raked over her. He took in the black tank top, the red skirt that showed off her long legs without coming off as sluttish (though it wouldn't have bothered him if it had. It would make his job easier.) He could not quite suppress the quick grin at the sight of her socks. Red and black knee socks. How….cute.

He cleared his throat.

"Um. Hi."

"Hi."

"HI!" Deb called from the foyer.

"You want to come in for a sec? I've just got to grab my purse."

"Sure. Take your time. I'm in no hurry."

As they stepped into the foyer, Nattie's cat, Lorien hissed and ran from Jack as he bent down to pet her.

"Don't worry. She does that to everyone. She's sort of…" Nattie searched for the word.

"Nuts? Possessed by Satan?" Deb supplied.

"She's eccentric." Nattie insisted. She turned to Jack. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. You have a lovely house."

Nattie flushed and beamed with pride. "Thank you. I certainly like it."

As they were leaving, Deb called to Nattie, "I'll be gone when you get home. CALL ME!"

Nattie turned around and ran a finger quickly over her throat in the 'shut up' motion and smiled at Deb. Deb held up both hands, showing crossed fingers.

Jack, reading the exchange, smiled to himself.

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"I had a really good time tonight," Jack said as he twisted a stray red curl around his finger. He had found that the 'I'm a shy and loveable guy' routine worked best with this woman.

"I don't suppose that I could maybe, um, kiss you goodnight?"

Nattie raised an eyebrow. "I don't see why not."

_Don't freak out. Don't freak out,_ she chanted to herself.

He leaned his head toward hers, his lips just an inch away from hers. She could feel his breath on her lips and was suddenly consumed by a bubble of giggles.

"Oh God. I'm sorry." She said as she struggled for breath.

Jack was confused. He was not used to the feeling and did not like it.

"I'm so sorry. It's just …" God, this was embarrassing. "I've never been kissed before. I know I know…." she said before he could say anything. "It's highly abnormal, but it's true. I just got a little high strung is all. And look. Now I am babbling. That's just--"

Before she could think, Jack's mouth was fused to hers in a passionate battle. The kiss was both hard and sweet. Both tender and intense. It felt glorious.

As he broke away, he was cursing himself.

What the HELL was that? He looked at her. At the glazed look in her half closed eyes. He looked at her lips, usually a pale pink, now red and swollen by his mouth.

Something was wrong with him.

Nattie cleared her throat. "Um. Well, that was…" _Hotter than I could have imagined? Mind blowing? _

She surprised both of them by saying, "Do you want to come in?"

He looked at her. The hopeful nervousness in her eyes. He knew if he went in that the rest of his plan would soon be done. He should just do it.

_Do it, finish this job, and get the hell out of this town._ He could get his old position back. Get back on the sea…

"I don't think that's a good idea."

_What? Are you fucking CRAZY! Where did that come from?_

"Nattie, I've-I've got to go."

He turned and walked down her sidewalk. When he got to her gate, he stopped and turned back to her.

"What are you doing for breakfast?" he asked.

"Deb, Gloria and I eat at the diner," she said.

"Would you like to have breakfast with me in the morning?"

She thought about it for a minute. "Ok. I go in at 6:30. The diner opens at 7:30 so the girls and I usually eat about 7."

He nodded, then without another word, turned and walked into the night.

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Later, in his rented craphole, Jack lay on his bed in the darkness, thinking.

_What the hell was this about? Why didn't I go in, screw her, and then kill her? That's what I freaking' DO. It's what I am here for. I have been doing it for 70 years._

He took out a cigarette and lit it, pondering. He closed his eyes and searched her out. She was at home getting ready for bed.

She was lying awake much like him, wondering why he did not come in. Finally, she drifted off to sleep.

That is where he met her.

She was in her backyard, pulling weeds from her flowerbed and listening to The All-American Rejects. He tilted his head to the side, wondering at the driving lust that twisted his gut and stirred his blood at the mere sight of her.

He walked behind her, placing his hands on her hips. She screamed and spun around, thumping a mud covered hand over her heart.

"Jesus Jack! Put a bell around your neck."

She took her headphones off and put them on the ground. She was entirely too close to him. The way he was still holding her hips pressed them together like lovers. Which, she thought to herself, was just what you asked him to become earlier.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." He continued to stare at her as if trying to find something. It unnerved her.

"What?" She felt herself flush under his gaze.

He kissed her before he could stop himself. She gripped his arms, ran her hands along the firm planes until she clung to his neck, her fingers winding in his hair. He pulled away and she nearly whimpered.

"You're beautiful." He said, and he knew that he meant it.

Jack gasped and shot out of bed. He pulled a hand through his hair and it trembled slightly as he took out a cigarette and lit it.

He took the glass of whiskey off the bedside table and downed it.

_Holy Hell,_ he thought. No. No, it wasn't possible. After 70 years, he was not going soft.

Yeah, right.

He threw the glass against the wall where it exploded into a thousand pieces. "SON OF A BITCH!"

He actually LIKED her.

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	4. 24 Going On 94

**Chapter 4: 24 Going on 94**

"You WHAT? You went on a date with the creepy--albeit good looking--guy that was in here yesterday?"

Gloria was astonished. Never in all the years that she had known Nattie had she ever seen her do something so careless. She didn't like it. Not one bit.

She spun to face Deb. "Did YOU know about this?"

"Yes mother, I did." She rolled her eyes. "What's the prob? Nattie's about due for a bit of fun."

"Fun yes. But not with a complete stranger! Nattie-" she turned to look at her friend. "This isn't like you."

"I know it s not. I'm reinventing myself. Look Gloria, I'm fine. We went out, had a nice dinner and came home. He kissed me goodnight and left. That's it."

"Then he stood her up for breakfast." Deb put in. "So I don't plan on Mr. Blue Eyes to be popping in any time soon."

"I dunno. I just got a weird feeling about him yesterday." Gloria said. "Remember the last time I got that feeling?"

"Oh for crying out loud, Gloria! He's not an alien." Deb said. She loved Gloria, but she was slightly odd. "McDuff wasn't either. He was just a scumbag."

"Yeah. But still, my feeling ended up saving you from that scumbag, remember. At least let me talk to my friends. Maybe they'll know something about him." she said to Nattie.

Nattie saw Deb hold up the Star-Trek 'live long and prosper' fingers, but managed to suppress her giggle. Barely.

"Uh-huh. And how would they go about doing that?" Deb asked.

"I happen to have quite a few friends who are hackers. They can do a quick background check."

"I don't know about that. It seems kinda intrusive. I mean, guys, it was just one date. Like Deb said, he'll probably not show up again."

"Uh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. Mr. Blue Eyes, 8 o'clock." Gloria nodded toward the door.

Jack Ferriman stood pacing outside her diner. He seemed to be in an intense battle with himself on whether or not he wanted to go in. Finally, he stood up, straightened his white t-shirt, and walked inside. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his loose cargo khakis and meandered over to the counter.

"Well, speak of the devil and he appears." Deb said as he approached. She looked at Nattie, who had gone pale but for the flush in her cheeks.

He stopped and looked from cocky Deb, to suspicious Gloria, to hopeful Natalia. It was the spark in her eyes that had him turning on his heel and walking back out the door. They watched as he walked past the window, very upset, and screamed a very inappropriate four letter word. As he stalked off, lightning split the cloudless sky.

"Gloria, ask your friends if they can find out anything."

"I'm on it."

"Hey, Nat…" Deb trailed off as she watched her friend watch this … guy … leave. A kind of light had come into Natalia's eyes. One that Deb had never seen in them before. She was falling in love with this complete and total stranger, and she probably didn't even know it.

_Well how about that_, Deb thought. She shook her head and hopped off the counter to go see about table #4.

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Nattie was unlocking her front door that night just as her phone started ringing. As she rushed inside, she stepped on Lorien's tail, causing the cat to bite her on the ankle.

"OW! STUPIDASS CAT! MOVE!" she shouted as she kicked at the furball. "Hello?"

"Nattie? Gloria just called me. She called for an emergency meeting at her house. She sounded really freaked out."

"She always sounds freaked out."

"Yeah. Well even more so than usual."

Nattie sighed. She was REALLY hoping she could just come home, get in the shower, and go to bed. She pressed her fingertips to her forehead, attempting to hold off the headache that threatened.

"Fine. I'll be there in a few minutes. Gimme time to change clothes, alright?"

"Check. See ya in a few." Deb said, and hung up.

Nattie made a quick change from her jeans and blue button down top to her black cotton pj bottoms and a shirt that was about 4 sizes too big.

Once she was comfortable, she fed the hell-beast that was her cat, made a dash out the door, and drove to Gloria's apartment.

-------

"Ok, what's the big deal? I had high hopes of a long cool shower." Nattie said as she walked in to Gloria's apartment.

She looked at Gloria, who was pale and wide-eyed. She looked at Deb, who looked much the same but for the cigarette that was shaking in her right hand.

"What? What's the matter?" Nattie asked, worried.

"I think you need to sit for this. Jesus. I wish I had." Deb said as she took a shaky drag from her cigarette.

"I talked to my hacker friends, and they couldn't find anything on Jack Ferriman."

"Well, good. That means he's not a criminal, right?" Nattie asked.

Gloria shook her head. "No Nattie. I mean they didn't find ANYTHING on Jack Ferriman. Like, at all." She blew at the short fringe of dark bangs that covered her forehead. "I went to my forum-"

"The paranormal activists forum?" Nattie snorted. "Gloria, you don't actually believe in-"

"Listen! I went to my forum and crosschecked with some of the people there. I checked name, descriptions, stuff like that. Then this one guy sent me these." She held up two papers.

"So? What are they?"

"This is a picture taken in 1967 of the Natslion Bridge. It was a bridge in New York that collapsed later, killing over 140 people. Someone had weakened the support structure. Investigators never found out whom. This," she indicated the other picture, "is a picture taken on the day that the Morro Castle sailed from New York Harbor in 1934. The ship caught fire and everyone burned to death."

"I get it. Well, not exactly... Can I see those now?"

Gloria passed the pictures over to her and bit her lip. Nattie took the pictures and studied them.

_What does this have to do with finding out whether or not Ferriman was a whack job?_ That's all she wanted to know before--

_What the hell?_

She peered closer to the black and white photographs. Her mouth fell open and all blood drained from her face. She looked at Gloria, then at Deb.

"What the…? How?"

"I'm not sure, but if those photos are legit, and I've never had reason to doubt my contacts," she said looking at Deb, "then Ferriman is somewhere close to 94 years old. And he's been around the same place and time of at least two accidents resulting in the death of over 275 people."

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	5. Hello Soul, Goodbye Sanity

**Chapter 5: Hello Soul, Goodbye Sanity**

"Why haven't you taken this girl yet?" Dennis asked, tapping his foot as he stood in front of Jack with his hands on his hips. "Is she too tough for you, Jackie-boy?" he said mockingly.

"I'll do it. I just need time." _You little prick,_ Jack added to himself.

"Time?" Dennis laughed. "Well, bucko, time is just what you'll have. See, word from downstairs is this: You screwed up big time. You need punishment."

"Punishment?" Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. "What could you do to me that I haven't already done to myself? You can't send me to the Corridors. That was part of my deal. The Boss doesn't break his own contracts. So tell me, Dennis the Great," He leaned in close to the other man's face. "What could you do to me?"

"Jack, Jack, Jack…" Dennis chuckled. "You said you needed time? Well," he lifted his hands and placed them on either side of Jack's head. "Time is what I'll give you."

The scream that was torn from Jack's lips was like nothing that had ever been heard before. It was the sound of true punishment. It was the sound of life being given back to a body after decades of not feeling. It was the sound of 70 years of bringing death and torment to hundreds upon hundreds of people, both innocent and guilty.

Dennis removed his hands and smiled as Jack fell to the floor in a heap. He looked down at the boy, with his blue eyes now swimming with tears of pain and guilt and misery.

_Go me,_ he thought. _Job well done._

"Well Jack, you take care. Oh, and just so you know, you can try to kill yourself…" He patted him on the back. "But it won't help. You can't die pal! Now you got plenty of time to kill this girl. And when you do that, well, the Boss said he'd think about a new contract."

With that, Dennis raised his hands and was consumed by a tunnel of flame.

----------

When Dennis was gone, Jack did something he hadn't done since he was a child. He cried. His body was racked with sobs. The voices, the screams, the faces of the men, women, and children he killed or had made someone kill were with him. For nearly 70 years, he had killed. It was a job. Nothing personal, just a job.

"Just a job?" a little green-eyed girl with red curls circled him. "Just a job? You killed me! I was a child and you took my life from me!"

A blonde man stood in front of him and laughed. "Welcome to hell buddy! Nice to see ya again."

"Come now Monsieur Dodge. Don't be bitter," the beautiful brunette said as she ran a hand down Dodge's arm. She knelt and stretched out a hand to brush a tear from Jack's face.

"Dominique?" He closed his eyes as the memory screamed into his head. The ship, the flames. Bodies burning. He gagged.

"Bonjour l'amor." She smiled at him. "Do you know what you are now Jack? No?" She giggled.

"You are dans enfer. In Hell, just like all of us." She stood up and placed a delicate hand on the little girl's head.

"No! I was just doing a job! I couldn't go back…" Jack drew his knees to his body and put his hands over his ears, but still he heard the cries of despair.

"Remember me sir?" A young boy, maybe 12, stood before him. Beside him stood a child of 6.

"You told me that you would give me food and a home. All I had to do was get rid of her." He nodded to the little girl beside him.

"So I did, and what did you do? You killed me. All I wanted was a home!"

"And don't forget us Jack." A beautiful woman with honey blonde hair and a woman with raven black hair took their place before him.

"We were just making money the only way we could. You liked our skills. Six times wasn't it? Before you decided to make us eternally damned?" the blonde said.

"Seven. You weren't in on one of them." The dark haired girl said.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Jack screamed.

Memories of all the things he had done, or made other people do so that he could keep their souls, came flooding back. He got up and raced out the door, trying to leave the spirits behind him.

He ran down the hall of the motel. As he started around the corner, an arm shot out an clothes-lined him.

"Ouch. Shit. That had to've hurt."

As Jack tried to clear his head, he looked up, and saw the face of Jason Munder staring back at him.

Munder smiled and laughed. He tucked a lock of dark brown hair behind his ear.

"What? No hello? No 'sorry about that whole having you squashed like a rotten tomato thing'? Yeah, that hurt by the way."

"You are not here. None of you are really here!" Jack got up and ran out the motel door and out into the rain.

"Well, I think that went well." Munder said as Dodge appeared beside him.

"You gonna follow him?" Dodge asked.

"Don't see why I should. Why don't some of the older ones go after him?"

"Because…" In honesty, Dodge didn't know either. "Are you going?"

Munder sighed. "I'll shoot you for it," he said holding out a fist indicating a game of paper, rock, scissors.

They played, and Dodge dropped his balled up fist on top of Munder's 'scissors' and laughed.

"Have fun," he said as he slapped Munder on the shoulder and disappeared.

---------------------------

_Ok. The guy that you have been having intense dreams about is over 90 years old. Ewww. And you kissed him._ _A lot. I think therapy will be in your future._

How was he in her dreams before she met him. Holy shit. Maybe Gloria's whole paranormal thing actually has some substance.

It was past midnight. She sat alone in her kitchen drinking coffee from a purple mug that said "Rabbi: It's a heavenly job" on the side of it. She had picked it up at some store or another because it appealed to her since of humor.

She listened to the rain and thought.

_Is that why he had turned around this morning? Why he had left in such a hurry last night? Last night. Oh God._

She scrubbed her hands through the thick mass of wild red curls.

_What if I had slept with him? I mean, the fact that he looks maybe 24 doesn't discount the fact that he's 90! Which means that he's got some sort of evil power, right? I mean, being around just before one tragedy is coincidence. But two…and that's only the two that Gloria's friend had photographic evidence of._

A knock on her door jogged her out of her thoughts.

She went to the front door and unlocked it, thinking it was Deb. She opened it and spun to go back to the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "You're out late Deb. Date go bad?"

"Natalia."

She froze where she was. The hair on her arms and neck stood on end. Her heart sped up and she wanted to believe it was just from fear, not from the sound of that pleading voice.

Slowly, she turned to face him. He stood outside in the rain. She started backing away slowly.

"You stay the hell away from me." She said. "I know who you are. Sort of. Well, I know that you are a hell of a lot older than you look. Just stay away from me."

"Nattie, please." His voice broke. "I promise, I won't come in if you don't want me to. But please…don't leave me alone."

She looked closer at him then. His eyes were red and swollen and wet with tears, not rain. They radiated like a silvery blue light. Against her better judgment, she walked back to the open door.

"You tell me one good reason why I should even consider not calling the police." She raised her chin.

"I can't." Jack lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. There were bodies floating before him. Dismembered, bloated bodies with dead, staring eyes. He shook his head as Munder appeared beside him.

"HEY! There you are! I was wondering-"

Jack fell to his knees. "Leave me alone!"

"Are you ok?"

Munder whistled in appreciation. "Damn. That was your assignment? And you couldn't bone that? Funny world iddin it?"

Jack put his hands over his ears and began to rock. "It was just a job. JUST A JOB!" He screamed.

"You don't think I'm going to fall for that, do you?" Nattie asked, hesitantly. The man was bowed over on her front stoop. She couldn't just leave him there, right? "Ferriman?"

He spoke to himself, rocking and holding his ears.

_What are you doing, you idiot!_ Nattie scolded herself as she ran outside and grabbed his shoulders. "Jack? Jack? Come on."

She helped him up out of the rain and into her house.

--------------

"Drink this." She shoved a coffee cup into his hands.

"I'll be back in just a second. I'm going to get you a towel."

He nodded, his teeth chattering together. He took a drink of the strong coffee and burned his tongue. The cat…Lorien, he remembered, was watching him closely from a nearby chair, as if wondering why in the name of God there was a man dripping water all over her floors and drinking from her human's coffee cup.

"Here." Nattie came down the stairs carrying a thick blue towel, a pair of boxers, and a multi-colored fuzzy blanket.

"The boxers are from one of Deb's…friends. But they should work as far as size goes."

She went to him and dried off his face, then ran the towel over his hair. He stood there, watching her. He looked nothing like the guy she had gone out with such a short time ago. He looked defeated. His eyes were still wet from tears threatening to fall.

Without thinking, she slid his flannel shirt off his shoulders and down his arms. She dropped it to the floor where it landed with a wet plop. She took the hem of his white t-shirt, now completely soaked, and pulled it over his head. She added that to the pile on the floor. She ran the towel over his shoulders and chest before it dawned on her that this was like holding a steak in front of a starving man. She cleared her throat.

"Get out of those wet clothes and then you have to talk to me. Deal?"

When he just nodded, she handed him the towel and the blanket and went to the living room.

When he joined her a few minutes later, he held the pile of wet clothes with one hand and held the blanket around him with the other.

"I dripped on your carpet." He said, nodding toward the foyer.

"It's ok." She got up and took his wet clothes from him and threw them into the laundry room. When she sat back down on the couch, he was still standing in the middle of the room.

"Come sit down. You owe me a talk, remember?"

He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the couch.

"Tell me what happened. Why were you saying it was just a job? What job?"

"You won't understand." He sighed and looked at her. She was so beautiful. So good.

"Look, I know that something isn't right with you. I've seen pictures of you taken in 1938 and 1962. Unless you, your father, and your grandfather all have STRIKING resemblances, then you were there then, looking not a day older than you do now." She searched his eyes. "Make me understand."

"I died on August 2, 1933. I was 24 years old. I was vicious, and I was cruel. I did what I wanted, no matter who tried to get in my way. I killed my first person the day I died. They must've been waiting for that."

When he hesitated, she encouraged him on.

"I was taken to the Corridors--the pits of Hell. Nothing that you can learn in church can prepare you for that. I don't know how long I was there, but I was brought out by Dennis. He's an Assistant Manager. He told me that the Corporate Boss was impressed with my resume when I was alive and wanted to know if I was interested in working for them now. I didn't want to go back to the Corridors, so I said yes. The contract was drawn up. I would go around forever collecting souls and they would never send me back to the Corridors. My first job was on September 8, 1934. The luxury liner Morro Castle."

He swallowed slowly. "133 people died in a fire. I had killed the captain before I started it. Actually, to be more accurate, I had the crew start the fire. Then they commandeered the lifeboats and left the passengers to burn. I got them later though."

As he was talking, tears streaked down his face. He heard the screams of the passengers as they were engulfed in flame. He took a deep breath and swiped at the tears.

"I loved it." He sounded disgusted with himself. "I only got worse from then on. They put me on boats, well traveled bridges, whatever. Kill the people, keep their souls. I had the highest turnover rate of all of my peers." He sniffed and laughed, but there was no humor in it. "It appears that I have a way of making people trust me."

He looked at her to gauge how she was receiving this. She looked disturbed, but not necessarily afraid of him… Yet.

"You heard of the Terma Bridge? The one that fell onto the interstate in '78? That was me. Unfortunately, it wasn't my assignment. Another collector was given that job, but I did it instead. Just to piss Dennis off. I wanted it so bad. All those people…209 dead. 400 injured. But, due to the fact that it was me that did it and not the assigned collector, we couldn't keep them." The muscle in his jaw worked as he thought about his past.

"I was taken off land assignments after that and put out to sea. I had a pretty good racket out there, ya know. Not much going on out on the Bering Sea. Everything was in order but my boat got a hole in it and I picked the wrong crew to fix it. I fucked up royally and my ship got blown up.

So there was that many MORE souls we lost and management was not happy. They put me back on land, but on a single-subject basis. Kind of like probation. My next assignment was to take a single soul and make it sin so it could be kept under control. I was good at manipulating people, but this soul was going to be tricky because it was pure. It had a few little spots here and there, but nothing that we counted."

Nattie knew by the way he was looking at her that he was waiting for her to become afraid. She knew where he was going with this. Somehow, she knew.

"I started watching you. In the shadows when you were awake, then later dream-walking on you. The other day was the day I was going to take you. But something--God, I don't know what--something happened to me. I couldn't hurt you. Dennis came today and did something to me. I can hear them… the other people I've killed. I can see them… They're haunting me."

He looked at her with his blue eyes intense. "I swear Nattie. I swear I won't hurt you. But I don't want to be alone."

She believed him. She believed all of it. It was ludicrous, but she believed him. She took his face between her hands and brushed his wet hair from his forehead.

"You should get some rest." Nattie said.

"I can't sleep. They'll come. It's all I can see every time I close my eyes."

"Shhhhh… It's ok. I'll be right here. I'm not going to leave you like this."

She sat back on the couch and took the blankets from his shoulders. She gently eased him down so that his head was lying in her lap and spread the blanket over him.

She sat there, playing with his hair. Several times, he would start to fall asleep, but would wake himself up with a jump. Finally, he seemed to sleep deep enough that she was able to sleep too.

---------------------------------------------


	6. Be All, End All

**Chapter 6: Be All, End All**

When Nattie awoke the next morning, she was lying on the couch. Jack still slept soundly with his head pillowed on her legs. She sat up, rubbed at the crick in her neck, and eased out from under him. She went off to the kitchen to make some coffee.

"Jack. Wake up sleepy head."

Jack stirred at the sweet sing-song voice that was calling him. He opened his eyes to find a pair that matched his own staring back at him.

A grip of terror and pain clutched his stomach. He saw himself and this beautiful young woman standing in an alley in NYC. She was already bloody and bruised from him beating her. She was begging and crying, but that only drove him on.

"Jack, please, I love him. We are getting married. And I am keeping this child."

"Like hell you are. You think that I'd let you bring that kind of disgrace to me?" He punched her in the face and she fell back against the wall.

She raised herself back up and brought her eyes to his. "You disgrace yourself more than I ever could."

He grabbed her by the throat and pushed her against the wall. He took the knife out of his coat pocket and put it in front of her face.

"…please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely." He said and stuck the blade between her ribs. The warm gush of her blood mixed with the choking sound that she made sent a giddy shiver up his spine.

"Ah, yes. Thinking back are we? Remembering the good ol' days?"

"Miranda?" Jack said. "I'm sorry…" His throat closed as Miranda brought a transparent hand to it.

"Sorry Jack? Awww...are you?" She laughed, a throaty sound. "How sweet. Too little too late I'm afraid." Miranda brought her cold lips to his cheek.

"Miranda..." he gasped out. "Please..."

"Well, since you asked so nicely." She laughed again. "Sound familiar Jackie-boy? You know, I was thinking just the other day about our childhood. What was that rhyme that Mother taught us as children? About Monday's child?" She placed a slim finger to her lips and thought.

"Oh well. Must not've been that important." She shrugged and squeezed his throat more.

He brought his hands to his neck and tried to pull her hands from his throat. Time after time his hands slipped through her substance-less arms. He felt the world go dark and heard the blood rushing in his ears.

"Jack! Dammit, let go!" Nattie was there, pulling his hands away from his throat. When they were free, he gasped for breath, the air racing to fill his burning lungs.

"Jesus. Are you ok? I mean, I know you're not but..." Nattie trailed off as she started to examine where he had choked himself. His face was an unusual shade of purplish red and bruises were already starting to form around his throat.

"What was happening just now?" Nattie whispered.

He closed his eyes against the pain and memories of what he had been. Of what he still was deep down. He shook his head in refusal. He wasn't that anymore. He wasn't.

His sister had just tried to kill him. No, not kill him. He couldn't die. She had done it to torture him.

"Jack, look at me." She placed her hands on each side of his face.

"Monday's child is fair of face. Tuesday's child is full of grace..."

"What are you saying? Come on sweetie. Look at me," she said, speaking as one might to a small child.

"Wednesday's child is full of woe. Thursday's child has far to go. Friday's child is loving and giving..."

Nattie ran to the kitchen and got a glass of water. "Drink this. Please..." He turned his head away and kept mumbling.

"Saturday's child works hard for his living. And the child that is born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe, and good and gay."

She ran the pad of her thumb over his bottom lip. "Please. Open your eyes."

He opened his eyes and fell into the golden depths of hers. He drew in a breath and brought a hand to his stinging throat.

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the couch.

"What was it? Were you--" Should she ask? "Were you remembering something? About how you..." Now she stopped.

He nodded and looked at her. "My sister." When her eyes widened in surprise he looked out the window.

"I had made a name for myself. Cheated my way into it mostly. She was a few years younger than me. I didn't really care about her anymore. Hadn't for a while. Not since our mother died. Anyway," he cleared his throat.

"She hooked up with this newsboy in New York. Fell in love, got pregnant, was going to get married. But..." He stopped.

"But because it would be a blemish on your reputation, you had her killed."

He laughed, but there was only sorrow in it.

"To have her killed would have cost money. No," he turned and looked her dead in the eye.

"I killed her myself. After I beat the hell out of her. I killed her in an alley next to a pile of garbage. Then I left her there." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Go on. Call me a monster, a sick bastard, whatever. I've heard it. I've been it. I killed my sister and her child because I didn't want anything to come between me and whatever pissy little goal I had set for myself." He laughed again, somewhat maniacally.

"Ironic I think. The next day my partner decided to cut me out of the business. Literally." He moved the blanket and showed her a scar that ran from just under his ribs on his left side to his right hip.

"So, what you're getting now is like, flashbacks?"

"Pretty much." He rubbed his temple. Each time he got a flash of memories it felt like friggin' bomb exploded in his cranium.

"Well, that's what we have to do then."

"And what's that?"

"We have to find a way to stop those flashbacks." She nodded to emphasize her point.

Jack just looked at her as if she was the biggest idiot he had ever come across. He was tired of crying at every turn. It bothered him that he cried so much yesterday. This last little episode had been the last straw. Now he was getting into the pissed-off sarcastic phase.

"Yeah. And why don't we just stop by the FDA and give them the cure to cancer while we're at it?"

"Look, if there is a way to stop them, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but Gloria's sugar high X-files friends would know. Come on."

"Uh..." He held out the blanket, revealing his naked body clad only in black boxers with blue flames. "Maybe if I had my clothes back."

"We'll stop by your room."

-----

After Jack had gotten a shower and Nattie had called Gloria and told her to go back to her house, they got in Nattie's Jetta and set out for Gloria's.

Along with a few of his entourage.

"I can't believe you. I know you've killed more than 700 people, and yet you can't find the urge to kill this one woman?" Munder asked. "That's kinda sad. You can feel it can't you. Like an invisible force. Pulling your hands to her throat and squeezing. Go on man. Just kill her."

"It'll make you feel better." Dodge put in.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Jack roared.

"Jesus!" Nattie slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the curb.

"I'm sorry. It just these two..."

"What two? Here?" She spun to look in the back seat. "There are two of them here? Now?"

He nodded.

"They're trying to make me crazy. I think they're succeeding."

He put his fingertips over his eyes and saw Munder's mangled body and Dodge's frightened and dying eyes, looking from his face to the bloodstain spreading across the front of his white t-shirt. Jack gritted his teeth and shook his head in attempt to clear it.

Nattie pulled the car into the spot in front of Gloria's building.

"We're here."

------

"Gloria? It's me. Open up."

"Hey. What's this about? You soun--" Gloria let the sentence die as she opened the door and saw Jack. "Nattie..."

"It's ok Gloria. Let us in."

Against her better judgment, Gloria stepped aside and let Natalia and Jack inside. She watched him warily.

"Gloria, we need your help. I need you to get in touch with that guy, the one who sent you the pictures. I need you to ask him what all he knows about Jack and who he works for." She held up a hand to stop Gloria's interruption. "I know this is a load Gloria, but I need you to trust me."

Gloria sighed. "I do trust you Nat. It's him I don't trust."

She glanced at Jack, who was sitting quietly on her sofa with his fingers pressed to his eyes. He looked almost pitiful. Gloria might have taken pity on him...if she hadn't known that he was old enough to be her great grandfather while looking like he could have gone to high school with her.

"Come on Gloria. Do this for me, please?" Nattie begged.

Gloria closed her eyes and sighed again. "Ok. I'll see what I can get. But I'm not going to promise anything."

Without warning, Jack rose from the couch and walked to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Nattie asked.

"Um, I have to go out. I need a walk. No," he said as she started toward him. "You stay here with your friend and do what you're going to do. I'll be alright. I'm going to be in my room. Come and find me there." He nodded to Gloria and left without another word.

---------

Three hours later, Gloria and Nattie sat in front of Gloria's computer. They both had headaches.

"So basically, what we know is that in order to stop Jack's flashbacks, the manager of Hell has to agree to turn them off? Either that, or a trade." Gloria stated.

"A trade..." Nattie said, thinking. "Thanks so much Gloria. You are great." She kissed her friend on her cheek and started gathering her stuff.

"So, what's the plan? What're we going to do?"

Nattie hesitated. "Well, right now I'm just going to go see Jack. Kinda fill him in, ya know. Talk later."

With that, she rushed out the door.

------

Back inside his hotel room, Jack lay facing his tormentors. One by one they came to him, taunting, hurting, abusing him. His sanity. His newly reacquired soul.

It had been hours since he left Natalia at Gloria's. He wanted to call her. To make sure she was ok. To know if she had found anything to make this living hell cease to be.

------

Nattie sat in the circle surrounded by candles. She didn't like this, but she had to do it. It was worth it. No one deserved the pain and misery that she had seen in Jack a few hours earlier. All she had to do was sit down and talk with this Dennis guy, trade off, and that'd be that.

She poured the foul smelling mixture into the vial and set it over the candle. She recited the incantation and waited.

Appearing in a tunnel of blue flame was a man that appeared to be in his mid 30s. His green eyes shone with a supernatural light. His dark hair was turning prematurely gray around the temples, giving him a distinguished look.

"You rang? Oh my..." He leaned down to where Nattie was sitting in the circle. "A pure soul. I can smell you from all the way over here. Vile."

He waved his hand.

"What do you want child? This isn't a cell phone you know."

He motioned to the candles and summoning spell. Looking closer at her, he smiled a wickedly charming smile.

"I know you," he said. "You're Natalia. Ferriman's assignment." He chuckled. "And how is our lovely little Jack these days? Has he had any unexpected guests?"

"I'm here to offer you a trade." Nattie said. "To stop Jack's flashbacks and make the souls of his victims leave him alone."

"A trade? And what would be in it for me, precious?" Dennis asked.

Nattie swallowed and took a deep breath. "My soul."

Dennis straightened. "Come again?"

"If you stop those lost souls from tormenting Jack, and stop his flashbacks from the things he's done, then I'll take his place and be a Soul Collector."

"How very bold of you cupcake. However, it doesn't work that way."

"It can."

"Yes, well. Only if I want it to. And you see, you have a pure soul. Which means that you'd be a bigger pain in the ass than Ferriman. Besides," he continued. "He is still the same deep down. It'll take a few days to get past the initial shock of being capable of feeling again, what with the crying and anger and all that, soon enough he'll be back to his old murderous self and we'll give him his old job back. He just needed this little lesson."

He leaned down and raised Nattie's chin. "So, don't worry your pretty little head."

"I think you're wrong."

Dennis studied this young woman. She would certainly have a nice advantage in manipulating people. Maybe he could work her stupid hero complex to his advantage.

"I'll tell you what. If you spot your soul up nice and dirty, then I'll take you and make Mr. Ferriman's flashbacks go bye-bye."

_It's no skin off my nose. He'll be back inside of a week anyway._

"Fine. What do I have to do?"

"Well you know...murder an innocent, rob a charity, something along those lines."

"Um, isn't there a rather large difference between those?" she asked dryly.

He glanced at her, read her mind and searched until he found what he needed. Then he shrugged and studied his fingernail.

"It is all rather diversified really. Hell, some people can simply act on lust and boop! They're in. Here's where you can reach me. It's a hell of a lot easier than all this," he said waving at the candles.

"Morgan, Davis and Stalanski? A law firm?" Nattie asked.

"What else?" Dennis replied, and with a flick of his wrist, he was consumed by a tunnel of flame.

_Act on lust_. Nattie tucked the business card into her pocket and cleaned up her candles. She then went upstairs to prepare.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	7. Lust Action Hero

**Chapter 7: Lust Action Hero**

Jack was awakened to the sound of pounding, and this time, it wasn't his own heart. Someone was at his door. He stumbled from the bed and groggily walked to the door. He hadn't bothered to get undressed before going to bed. It wasn't like he was going to get much sleep anyway.

He didn't bother to look through the peep hole. He just opened the door.

"Nattie? What are you doing here?" he asked sleepily. He hadn't seen her since he left Gloria's.

"Mind if I come in?" Without waiting for him to answer, she sauntered inside, the heels of her shoes clicking on the cheap tile.

"No, come on in." Jack said to himself after she had passed. He turned and looked at her. She was wearing a black skirt that skimmed half way up her thighs and a long black shirt that fell barely an inch above the hem of the skirt.

"What did you and Gloria find—"

His sentence was cut short by her walking toward him like a lioness to her prey. The same dangerous gleam was in her gold eyes.

She reached him and ran her hands over his shoulders, down his chest, then up again to lock behind his neck.

"Uh, Nat—"

Her mouth fused to his, stopping his protest before it started. He took her by her wrists and pushed her back.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

She chuckled, and the sound sent shivers along his skin.

Without waiting for another word from him, she undid the button of her skirt and let the material slide down her long legs, where it pooled around her feet. She stepped out of the black ring and closed the distance between them, grabbing his hips and rising on her toes to kiss him again.

Jack was thoroughly confused. Never in all of his years as a liar and manipulator had he been in this situation. He didn't know what to make of it. All he knew was that if he didn't do something, it wouldn't be long before his control snapped like a piece of thread.

She bit his bottom lip. "I know what I'm doing Jack. Believe it or not," she said as she ran her tongue over the place she had just bit, "I've thought this through." She reached for the top button of her shirt. "All you have to do is stand by, and let it happen."

She ran her hands down his gray t-shirt and slipped her hands underneath to feel the planes of his stomach and chest. She took the hem of the shirt in her hands and pulled it over his head, making his hair stick up even more. She pushed him back and looked at him.

He was all firm planes and sinewy muscle. He was not bulky like many men, but rather his muscles were long and lean. She rubbed the palm of her left hand along the chiseled muscles of his chest, down to his pale stomach. She placed her right hand on his side and smiled when she saw his skin quiver. She ran her fingertips along the pink scar that had ended his life so long ago. It ran from his left side, across his navel, down to disappear under the band of his boxers and jeans to end at his right hip.

He sucked in a breath as her fingers played over his skin to dive after the trail of his scar. She tucked her tongue between her teeth and grinned at him. She took his face in her hands and kissed his mouth, her tongue delving inside to explore.

He had taken all he could stand. He wrapped his fingers in the twisted mass of her hair and pulled her head back. She stared at him with wide and excited eyes, silently challenging him to take as he had been taken. He plundered her mouth much the same way she had done his, using lips, tongue, and teeth.

She pushed him back against the inexpensive and stained refrigerator. She moved her hands down to the button of his jeans, all the while watching his eyes go from deep blue to silver and back again.

She pushed his jeans off his hips and pulled him to her once again. She could feel the heat of him through their remaining clothes. She ran her mouth over his throat and down his chest leaving a trail of hot kisses that he thought would surely leave scorch marks on his skin. He gripped her hips and lifted her, slamming her onto the counter. He assaulted her mouth. He took the thin material of her shirt and pulled it apart, sending buttons flying.

He took with his mouth as fiercely as she had done. He scraped his teeth over the sensitive skin at her throat. He attacked her breasts with such ferocity that she knew that she would have bruises later, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered except that he continued on.

She wrapped her legs around his waist. He pushed her back on the counter, none too gently, and continued down her body. Then he was still.

She raised her head. "What? What's the matter?" she panted.

He just stood staring at her with a puzzled smile on his lips. "I've never seen anything as sexy as you look right now."

He gripped her thighs, pulled her more snuggly against him, and took her mouth in a tender but hot kiss.

Her eyes had heated to a glowing gold and they let passion take its course.

-

"Wow." Nattie panted.

That was all she could say. She was sore and bruised, but she wouldn't have traded one second of the...intense...mating of bodies that she had just been initiated to.

Finding the energy to roll off her, Jack reached for the bedside table to get a cigarette. As he lit one, he heard Nattie chuckle, and was amazed that he felt himself stirring again. He looked over at her.

She looked like a cat that just ate an entire family of birds. If she had a tail, it would be twitching contentedly.

"What?" He asked.

She placed a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. I just got tickled. The cigarette thing. You know, the whole cliché'."

He grinned and finished his cigarette. Kissing her again, they drifted to sleep.

-----

Later that morning, Jack was pulled from the first fit less sleep he had had in...well, ever, by the smell of coffee.

He rose to see Nattie, clad in her black shirt, standing at the sink. Her shirt was open except for the two remaining buttons, and exposed half of one pink and bruised breast. He felt himself go hard at the sight of her.

"Good morning." Her voice was throatier than usual, and her eyes looked...different, but she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

Without a word, he walked up behind her and drew the shirt over her head. Gripping her shoulders, he spun her to face him with a dangerous glow in his eyes.

"I don't think so buddy. Not before my cof--" the protest died in a strangled gasp as he lifted her from the floor and pinned her against the wall. He wrapped her legs around his waist and braced his arm on the wall beside her.

"Jack!"

He closed his mouth over hers and almost went mad at the throaty whimper. After they had both reached their peaks, he set her on her unsteady feet, kissed her, and helped himself to a cup of coffee.


	8. Get Gone

**Chapter 8: Get Gone**

By the time Nattie had regained the energy to get in the shower it was nearly noon. By the time Jack finished with her in the shower, it was closer to 1:30. She stumbled out of the bathroom, leaving Jack by himself in the shower. She had just dropped her towel and was looking for something to put on when a tunnel of flame shot up and Dennis appeared before her.

"JESUS!" Nattie spun and reached for the blanket that was in a pile on the floor.

Dennis just smiled his charming smile. "Not even close…"

Nattie looked bland. "Funny. I hope I get a super witty sense of humor like you when this happens," she replied sarcastically.

"What are you doing here? Jack is in the shower but he could be out at any minute. Go away." she said, shooing him.

"I only came to let you know that you're offer has been accepted. This isn't something we usually do, but you could prove to be very useful." Dennis said.

Nattie glared at him. "If I had my way, you'd shrivel up and disappear. I did this because Jack doesn't need to be in this kind of pain. He's paid his time. So don't give me the 'welcome aboard' speech. I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for him."

"Yes, well. You ARE doing it. You made a conscious, living choice. Which is going to be trickier than if you were dead. So, let's begin."

He stepped over to her and placed his right hand on the back of her head. He grinned wickedly.

"I feel I should tell you. This is going to hurt like a bitch."

He took the blanket from her hand and let it fall. He then placed his left hand low on her stomach, under her navel. Leaning his head closer to hers, he started saying something under his breath. It sounded Latin.

To the innocent bystander, they would have appeared as lovers about to kiss. Then Dennis began to move his hand up her abdomen, stopping just below her breasts. He continued chanting as he spread his fingers wide on her chest.

The pain that gripped Natalia had her gasping. She would have screamed, it was so intense, but it was as if someone—no, someTHING—had made it impossible for her to breathe. She gagged and closed her eyes, letting her head fall back in submission. As she did a strange light green smoke started coming from her mouth. Dennis sucked it into his mouth, and seemed to inhale it. Then taking a small ornate vial from his pocket, he opened his mouth and the smoke went from him into it. Once it was all in the vial, he started to remove his hand.

Nattie caught his hand and pressed it against her naked breast. Her head popped up and she grinned slyly at Dennis.

"Leaving? So soon?" she asked as she pressed herself to him.

"Why, yes. I am. I don't screw the help." He said with a smirk. "And besides, Ferriman should be finishing up soon. Have fun." Raising his hands, he was once again taken away by a pillar of flame.

"Oh, I intend to." Nattie said, taking one of Jack's cigarettes.

------------

Dennis sat at his desk prepping the deletion of souls from Ferriman's territory.

"Is it done?" A velvety and exotic voice pounded through Dennis' head as he sat at his desk.

"Yes. She's ours. She was going all noble, so I just went ahead and turned her." Dennis said.

"And it took effect?"

"Yes sir. She had already undergone the personality change before I left. It's my professional opinion sir, that she'll be a very beneficial employee."

"Yes. So it would seem. What is your opinion of Ferriman's status? How long before he is overcome again?"

"I'd say…well, soon anyway. Ferriman has always been unpredictable sir, so it's just one of those things that we'll have to wait and see."

"I hate waiting Dennis. Patience is not one of my biggest attributes."

"Yes sir. I'm aware of that. However—"

"However Dennis, I think we can give our dear Mr. Ferriman a little push. Don't you? Give the girl child an assignment. That whorey young woman that she used to be friends with. She's nice, don't you think?"

"As you wish, sir." Dennis set about immediately preparing to link with Nattie to give her first assignment.

-----------------------

"Were you talking to som—" Jack stared in disbelief at the woman who stood before him.

She had fixed her hair. It was gathered and pinned with carelessness so that several red curls flitted around her face and the nape of her neck. Other than the small garment of black and red hipsters, she was gloriously naked and smoking one of his cigarettes.

"I came to realize that I had no clothes here. Well," she grinned wickedly. "Except for these." She ran her hands over her hips.

"We'll find you something…later."

"Mmmm…as nice as that sounds boyo, I've got to go to work." She walked over to him and pulled the towel from his hips. "But I'll be back later." She pressed her body against his and pulled his mouth down to hers.

She broke away, turning and bending to scoop the little black skirt from the floor, and giving him a nice view of her butt.

She pulled the skirt up and sauntered over to the small closet. Choosing one of Jack's black Zero t-shirts, she pulled that on as well. It was a little big, but it clung to her breasts nicely. Once she located and put on her shoes, she turned back to Jack, who was still standing naked in the middle of the room, blew him a saucy kiss, and walked out the door.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	9. Flameworthy

**Chapter 9: Flameworthy**

"Goooood morning precious. Wow! What's with the skirt? You look…" Deb focused on Nattie, taking in her clothes, hair, and glazed eyes. "…content. So you and Mr. Blue Eyes did the nasty?" She asked.

"Yes. We did have sex." Nattie said.

"Nattie! Maybe you forgot, but he's—well, he's…I don't know what he is. That's the thing! You don't know what he is!" Gloria cried.

"He's not evil. Trust me on this." Nattie gave a small humorless laugh. "It's fine."

Gloria went to serve Table 6.

"Well? How was it?" Eyes glowing, Deb leaned closer to Nattie.

"Which time? One of the two times in the bed, the time on the floor, up against the wall, or in the shower?" Nattie said, smiling wickedly.

"Wow." That was all Deb could manage.

"Oh yeah."

A while later, Gloria called Deb to the front.

"I'll be back in a sec, then you can finish your story." Deb called as she ran from the office.

Natalia smiled to herself. Suddenly Dennis's voice filled her head.

"Your first assignment just crossed my desk Nattie. Your first mark is Deborah Parker. Apparently she's quite the catch. Started sleeping around when she was 15, never stays in a relationship very long because of 'wandering eyes', swears like a sailor…" His voice trailed off. "You're in trial period Natalia, which means that you have 2 days until deadline. If you fail this assignment—"

"I won't. Trust me love. This'll be a snap." Nattie replied.

"Let's hope so. For your sake."

"How sweet." she said snidely.

"Oh, and Natalia? Don't call me 'Love'."

With a snarl, Nattie rolled her eyes as Dennis faded out.

------------

Back at the front counter, Gloria was busy filling sugar containers and talking to Deb.

"You don't find it odd?" Gloria asked. "One day she's Nattie Bennett, girl next door. Then suddenly, the day after she sleeps with someone who, as far as we know could be some sort of evil incubus, she's all…trampy."

"Fine. Ok. We'll talk to her."

"You talk to her. I'm going to go talk to Mr. Immortality."

"SSShhh! Jeez, Gloria. Do you want EVERYONE to think that you're cracked out?"

Deb glanced around. The last of the early morning crowd was just going out the door. She got up and flipped the Open sign to Closed.

"This isn't 'Highlander'. There aren't Immortals running rampant. Just say his frickin' name."

"Alright, sorry! Ok. You go talk to Nattie. Keep it normal so as not to tip her off."

"To what? I don't even know what the Hell you are getting at!" Deb whispered fiercely.

"That's for the better then. Trust me Deb. Just tell her I'm running out for a sec. I'll be back soon."

Gloria took off the spotted white apron and swept from behind the counter and out the door.

"Right. No really, I'll stay here…" Deb said to herself. Shaking her head, she thought about how strange her friends were.

-------------------------

Jack stumbled out of bed and made his way to the door. Whoever it was, they were quite determined to get him up. Running a hand through his already messy hair, he opened the door and was surprised to find Gloria standing there.

Before he could say anything, she held up her hand and brushed past him. "Don't think for a second that I trust you." She spun to face him, holding up a silver crucifix. He suppressed a grin and passed his laugh off as a cough.

"Ok. So you don't trust me. Mind telling me what you are doing in my room?"

"Something's wrong with Natalia. I want—"

"What's wrong?"

Noting the concern in his silvery blue eyes, Gloria quickly calmed his fears. "No. It is nothing like that. I just mean that she's…different. I want to know what you did to her."

Jack grinned wickedly as Gloria blushed and hurried on.

"Well, not what you DID, did. What you did to change her. She's not herself. It's like she's…like she's empty or something."

"Wait. Wait. What are you talking about? Start from the beginning."

As Gloria recounted everything that she considered odd about Nattie, a feeling of dread began to build deep in Jack's chest. He knew the cause. He had gone through it. Been it. But how could they have gotten to Nattie? She hadn't died.

"What? What is it? Dammit, Ferriman, what happened to Nattie?" Gloria asked.

"She's been taken." He said simply. He shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me. Is it what you are? Why you were in all those places before those terrible things happened? Please tell me!" Her voice was raised in a near shout.

"I made those things happen. I killed those people and took their souls. It was a job and I was damn good at it. I think—" He stopped, ran a hand through his hair in a gesture she was picking up on as agitation. "I think that's what happened to her."

"Because she slept with you? Is it like, contagious?"

"No. I don't know how…" The sentence died on his lips.

"What?" Gloria asked as Jack got up to pace around the room. It was only then that she noticed the scar running from one side of his body to the other, in one slim pink line.

"Dennis." The name was spat out with such venom that Gloria blanched. "That's it. That's how they turned her. It was a trade."

Nothing that he was saying made sense to her. Something about a trade? Nattie had talked about a trade. A trade for what? And who the hell was Dennis?

"Jack, slow down. What are you talking about?"

He acted as though he hadn't heard her.

"That's why the souls are gone. She gave hers…" He laughed, but the sound sent chills along Gloria's skin.

He was on the verge of hysteria. She had to pull him back. She went to him and spun him by the shoulders to face her, and slapped him.

Hard.

He put a hand to his stinging cheek. This soft spoken girl was full of surprises.

"I'm sorry. You were raving, and I cant have you freaking out now. We've got to get Nattie back."

"I think I know how to do that," he said.

Gloria nodded. "Alright. What do we do?"

"You go back to the diner. I'll be right behind you, but first I have to try to get in touch with my former employer."

"Your former…" Gloria's eyes widened. "Oh, hell no. Just come with me now!"

"It'll be fine. Go, before Natalia gets suspicious of where you are."


	10. Old Habits Die Hard

**Chapter 10: Old Habits Die Hard**

Something was wrong. He couldn't get in touch with Dennis—couldn't get in touch with anyone from the office really, and that bothered the hell out of him.

Jack opened the door of the diner, holding the bell so it wouldn't make noise. Closing the door quietly behind him, he went in search of Gloria. It didn't take long to find her.

He couldn't tell if she was dead or alive. Her limp body was on the floor and she had a large cut on her forehead. He ran over to her and turned her head toward him. She moaned lightly and he released the breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

Placing a finger to his lips, he helped Gloria into a sitting position. She gently touched the gash on her head.

"It was Nattie. I came in and she hit me with something. I saw Deb…she was on the floor in the office." Gloria whispered. "I don't know if she was dead."

Jack nodded. Wondering if he was too late, he slowly stood and peeked over the counter.

Deb was on her knees, blood covered her shirt. Nattie stood behind her with a dangerous looking knife, the blade pressing hard against Deb's slender neck.

"Natalia, stop!" He vaulted over the counter in one fluid movement.

Natalia turned around, clearly furious with this interruption. She made Deb stand up and then with a flick of her wrist, sent her slamming into the counter top.

"Nattie. Listen to me. I'm not going to fight you. All I want to do is help you." Jack said, his hands up.

Nattie chuckled, a sultry sound indeed.

"My dear Jackie-boy. Do you really think I'd give up this power? This feeling of freedom? I don't think so. All my life I've been taking care of people. I've been the one to come to if anyone had a problem. People took advantage of my kindheartedness. Do you know how good it feels not to care about these pathetic mortals?" She tossed her head, sending her curls over her shoulder.

"Come on Nattie. You don't like this. You're too good for this."

"Are you trying to negotiate with me, Lover?" She laughed and shook her head. "Who knew that you were such a sissy."

She was right in front of him. He looked into her eyes. They were cold and empty. She put her hands on his hips and pulled him closer.

"I'll…never…go…back." She kissed him between each word. Without warning, she pushed him back and sent him flying over the counter.

Gloria hustled over to Deb's unconscious body and pulled her as gently as she could from the counter. She huddled under the counter.

Jack slowly rose to his feet. His anger had reached it's boiling point. He was sick of being beaten on, tired of being the whipping boy. This was bullshit and he was finished playing.

Damn it, it was time to kick some ass.

He charged and vaulted the counter once again. He grabbed Nattie by the hair and rammed his fist into her face.

She caught his fist and twisted his arm until he could practically feel the bones beginning to break. He spun to his right and elbowed Nattie in the stomach. She released the pressure on his arm just enough for him to break free. She punched him in the face several times before kicking him in the stomach. She leapt for the knife that had fallen from her hands when the fight began.

Anticipating her move and summoning the strength he had left, Jack grabbed Nattie's hair. Spinning her around, he slammed her head down as he brought his knee up. Blood spilled from Nattie's mouth as she fell to the floor in a heap.

He stood and rolled his shoulders. He was surprised to find that he did not feel guilty about beating on Nattie. He tried to tell himself it was because it wasn't Natalia anymore, but he knew the truth. He still loved a good fight. The sting in his hands, the crunch of bone, the spray of blood. He breathed deep and flexed his fingers.

Jack was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't see Nattie get up and get her knife. He heard her as she moved in behind him. Without thinking, he grabbed her wrist, spun her around and placed the knife against her throat.

"Tsk tsk tsk. You shouldn't do that. That's rude," he said against her neck. She struggled against him.

"I'm going to kill you. And this time they won't be sending you on assignments. You are going to the Corridors."

Jack chuckled. He was feeling better than he had felt in days. Stronger, more like himself.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing her closer to him. She had her head tilted to the side to keep the blade of the dagger from piercing her skin. Not that it would kill her, it would just hurt like a bitch.

He had never been a man of great willpower. He kissed the side of her neck and felt her tense. He ran his tongue over the sensitive spot just under her jaw.

"What are you doing Ferriman?" Nattie asked. Her voice was throaty, and not just with anger. He was turning her on and he knew it.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked against her ear. He moved the knife blade down her throat, down farther still until the tip pointed just above her heart.

_I'm killing you._ Though he hadn't spoken the words out loud, he knew she could hear them.

"Do it. I'll have you then. Go on Jack." She said in a taunting voice. "You'll belong to me, and you will go to Hell."

He tightened his hold on her. Resting his head on her shoulder, he grinned.

"Yeah, well…Been there, done that."

She screamed as he plunged the knife into her heart.

---------------


	11. Fight the Good Fight

This chapter is kinda short. Sorry...I just needed a link between the last chapter and the next chapter.

**Chapter 11: Fight the Good Fight**

Her chest was on fire. She felt her legs tremble as shock ran through her body. He stabbed her. He had actuallystabbed her.

That _bastard!_

Jack gave Natalia a hard shove away from him and smirked as she fell to the floor and struggled to rise.

"Sweet little Nattie," Jack said. He sucked his breath between his teeth and clucked his tongue in a mock grimace. "You forget, duckie. I've been doing this for quite a bit longer than you."

"But you…have a soul now," Nattie gasped out. She clenched her teeth against the burning in her chest.

Jack walked over to her and knelt beside her, gently rolling her onto her back. He wiped away a drop of her blood that had splashed onto his bruised cheek.

"Yeah," he whispered. "The thing is they gave me my old soul back, and let's face it..." He shrugged and absently ran a hand through the back of his hair. "I was just never really one for being a nice guy."

He gave a dry laugh. "But you on the other hand were like, crazy nice. I mean, giving up your soul? Yikes…"

Nattie moved her mouth, but the words were barely audible. Jack leaned closer to her.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said… Things. Have. Changed."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise as Natalia pulled the knife free of her chest and stuck it in the middle of his torso. Such a quick recovery from the wound he had dealt her was something he hadn't been expecting, as new as she was. Knocked off balance, he fell back onto his butt.

"We'll be at this all day…" Jack said, glaring at her.

Nattie stood and spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. "You arrogant, pretentious, egotistical son-of-a-bitch!" she shouted, kicking him between each adjective.

Jack grabbed her ankle and jerked, sending her sprawling on the floor in front of him. He pulled the knife out of his stomach and threw it over the counter to ensure that it didn't end up in either of them again before pinning her roughly by the wrists. He pressed his hips into hers to keep her still.

"I gave up my soul for you," Nattie said as she struggled against him.

"What do you want? A medal?" Jack replied.

She reared up and popped him in the mouth with her head. Taking advantage of his loosened hold, she rolled him over and used all of her newfound strength to keep him down, pinning one hand under her knee and gripping his other wrist.

"A frigging 'thank you' would be nice," she said hotly.

Jack spat off to the side and ran the tip of his tongue over his lip. "Thanks a-million," he said snidely.

Natalia found the wound in his stomach with her free hand and punched him. His breath left in a great whoosh. Jack was able to get his hand from beneath her knee and used it to grip a handful of hair. He jerked her head backward, knocking her off balance and sat up once again pinning her to the floor.

"ENOUGH!"

Jack and Nattie both turned their attention to Dennis, who appeared less than thrilled to see them beating the shit out of each other.

Dennis tossed his hands to the sides and both Jack and Natalia went flying in opposite directions.

"Did either of you—for one second—consider that there are two living, breathing mortals hiding behind this counter and one is watching everything you do?" He pressed his fingers to his forehead and sighed.

"You two have really put me through it over the past few days." Dennis whirled to face Gloria as she held onto Deb's unconscious body. She flinched away and closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Fortunately for you, these two have assed around so much that I don't have time to kill and mark you." He turned back to Jack and Natalia, who were now on their feet. "You two. In my office, _NOW_."


	12. Refresh and Renew

**Chapter 12: Refresh and Renew**

One minute Nattie was standing in the diner and the next she was grabbing onto the corner of Dennis's desk to keep from falling over. She blew her hair out of her eyes as she looked over her shoulder to Jack, who was slouching comfortably in a chair.

"I take it you've done that before," she asked.

Jack was still dabbing at his lip, but the swelling in his cheek was already beginning to recede.

"Sure. I always think of it as a trip to the principle's office," he said with a shrug. "You'll get used to it after a while…assuming you get to stick around."

"Blow me, Ferriman. I'm not going anywhere."

"We'll see."

Their verbal sparring was interrupted as Dennis appeared behind his desk. He tossed the stack of red folders he had been holding onto the desktop and sat in his chair.

"Fine mess you've got me in," he said flatly as he flipped through the first folder.

Jack sat up abruptly as Dennis held a stack of papers aloft. "That's my contract," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. What was Dennis up to?

"This _was_ your contract," Dennis amended as the papers burst into flame and disappeared with the smoke. "Unfortunately, you've forced me to make a few adjustments due to your actions over the past few days."

"Dennis, you can't just void my contract," Jack said. He felt drops of sweat gathering on the back of his neck.

"I didn't say I was voiding it, Jackie-boy. I said I made adjustments. Don't get antsy."

Dennis rifled through the folders and pulled out a new stack of papers. He took a black feather quill and began making notes before glancing up at Natalia.

"Miss Bennett, do sit down. I'll get to you momentarily."

Nattie sat, casually draping one leg over the arm of the chair that appeared next to Jack. She was watching his reaction to Dennis's actions, noting he was trying not to appear nervous. The fact that he was nervous in the first place set her on edge. Ferriman was a seasoned Soul Collector, so anything that got him sweating could not be good.

Jack glanced at Nattie, surprised to see her watching him so intently. He turned his attention back to watching Dennis write.

_What?_ he asked Nattie telepathically.

_Why are you so scared?_ she asked.

_I am not scared. But if I were, it would be because we--and by we, I mean mostly you--have gotten ourselves in deep shit._

_How deep? _Nattie's voice had a distinctly panicked tone.

Jack met her eyes and looked solemn.

_**Real **Deep, _he replied.

"Ah, there." Dennis said as he finished writing with a flourish.

"So what's up, Dennis?" Jack asked, trying to look bored. "Why the dramatics?"

Dennis laced his fingers together and leaned forward. "I've managed to pull a few strings and get you your old position back. Shoving you back out to sea spares me the extra work you've managed to pile up since your probation. So, you're back on nautical collections effective immediately."

He passed over Jack's new contract and pointed a finger at him. "Sign it at the bottom. You have one shot Ferriman. Screw up again, and I would imagine the Corporate Office would be less than thrilled."

Jack visibly relaxed as he took the contract and pen that Dennis offered him. Using the tip of the quill, he pierced his fingertip and signed at the bottom of the paper with his blood.

"So is that it or are there other cliches that we can have a go at?" he said, handing the paper back over the desk.

"How refreshing to see your arrogance back in place," Dennis said dryly. "Miss Bennett, you've been rather subdued for the past few moments," he said, turning a icily charming smile on Nattie. "Would you like to discuss your future in front of Mr. Ferriman, or would you rather discuss it privately?"

Nattie straightened in her chair and crossed her legs, attempting a calm facade. "What is there to discuss, Dennis? I work for you now."

"Hmm, yes. But unfortunately you failed to complete your trial assignment. Add to that the fact that you didn't sign a contract and I'm afraid there isn't much call for your employment."

Jack watched Nattie as Dennis delivered that news. He could feel the tension radiating off her in waves. She was broadcasting her feelings as loud as a nightclub DJ on a Saturday night.

"Fortunately for you, Miss Bennett, I absolutely detest New England and therefore I am prepared to put this whole incident behind me."

He passed a stack of papers over the desk to her and rose. "Just sign there at the bottom and we can all be on our merry way."

"This says I'm being terminated due to 'technical interference'. What does that mean?"

"Is she going to the Corridors?" Jack asked. He was strangely opposed to that decision.

"Due to the fact that Miss Bennett was still very much _alive _when she came into our service," Dennis said with a thanks-to-you look at Jack, "then she will be returned unscathed and with her soul intact."

He walked across the room to a bookshelf and removed a bottle. Nattie recognized it as the vial that Dennis had been holding when she had undergone the change.

"Our damage control team has already serviced the diner. Your friends remain unharmed and unaware that anything out of the ordinary happened. They remember nothing of Jack, except that the two of you went out a couple of times."

"Why have them remember him at all?" Nattie asked.

"Future reference," Dennis said.

Nattie wasn't sure what exactly that meant, but it was likely not a good thing.

"I don't want to go back, Dennis. I do not accept this pink slip," she said, tossing the paper back on the desk. "Sorry," she said snidely.

_Big mistake!_ she heard Jack say in her mind.

Natalia gasped as her chair slid across the room to Dennis. He placed his hands on the arms of the chair and leaned in until he was nose-to-nose with her. His irises burned a deep emerald green as his pupils dialated. Nattie was captivated by those eyes and was unable to look away or even blink.

"You obviously confused my decision for an open negotiation, for surely you would not be so idiotic as to argue with me," Dennis said. His voice was deep and slightly accented. It also sounded as though more than one person was speaking, which really freaked Nattie out.

"I will spell it out for you in terms that even the simplest of fools can comprehend. You sign that fucking paper, or I will walk you to the Corridors myself, after I've had a bit of stress therapy," he said. Nattie didn't feel like giving thought as to what Dennis would consider stress therapy.

She gave a nod, her golden eyes still locked on his and a small gasp escaped her when the paper and pen appeared in her lap.

Dennis straightened and tugged on his suit jacket before smoothing a hand through his hair. As Nattie finished signing, the paper rolled up and disappeared.

"Now then," Dennis said, his voice once again normal. "One little trip back to your house and I'll give you your soul back. Jack, I'm sending you out now. Say your goodbyes and be quick. I have other things to do today."

"I have nothing to say to him," Nattie said flatly.

"You're sure? I mean, you were lovers," Dennis pointed out nastily. He smirked and had a dimple in his left cheek winking. "Jack? Anything to say to the lovely Miss Bennett before you go? It could be quite a while before you run into each other again."

Jack took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag. Dennis cleared his throat and Jack smiled before putting it out in the jade ashtray on the desk.

"Yeah, I got something to say." He walked to Nattie and cupped her face, leaning her head back and kissing her. Her tongue slipped out automatically, seeking the taste of him. Jack broke the kiss and his cold silver eyes held her golden ones. "Thanks for the sex. Best I've had in, oh, ten years or so."

He laughed as her eyes flashed and she shoved him away from her. "You motherf---"

The room disappeared before she had finished and Jack was kissed by the smell of a salty breeze as he appeared on the deck of a cruise ship.

Natalia gaped at Dennis. "Are we going now?"

The words were scarcely out of her mouth before she fell to the floor in a heap. Her floor. More specifically, her cold concrete garage floor. She rubbed her now throbbing elbow and glared at Dennis. "A little warning would be nice, ya know."

"I know. But is so much fun to see the newbies fall out every time you shift somewhere."

He surprised her by helping her to her feet. He withdrew the vial from his coatpocket. "Take off your shirt," he said.

"What?"

"Your shirt. Take it off. This is pretty much a reversal of the extracting process," Dennis explained. "So I am going to have to have physical contact in order to make sure everything goes in its proper place."

Nattie grinned mischiveously and pulled the t-shirt slowly over her head, tossing it carelessly over her shoulder.

Dennis uncorked the vial and breathed in the stream of green smoke that snaked out. He then placed his fingertips on Nattie's chin. Leaning so close that their lips touched, he gently blew the smoke in between her parted lips.

As the smoke entered her mouth, he lightly trailed his fingers down her throat, flattening his palm and pressing a bit harder as he smoothed his hand over her chest. The last of the smoke crossed his lips, and he let his hand rest over her heart. He began whispering words of unknown origin and a sharp burning pain streaked through Nattie's body. She cried out weakly, and just when she began to think that she would die from it, the pain subsided to a dull ache.

"This soul swapping thing is for the birds, man," she said hoarsely. She sat on the hood of her car and bowed her head.

"You'll have a bit of guilt, but you didn't do much. All should be back to normal in a day or so," Dennis said. "Ok then, now that everything is taken care of here for now, I'll be off."

"Whoa. What do you mean 'for now'?" Nattie asked.

Dennis just smiled and flicked his wrist, disappearing in a tunnel of blue flame.


	13. EPILOGUE

**:EPILOGUE:**

**2 months later**

Dennis sat behind his desk pouring over mergers and acquisitions. He glanced up briefly as his secretary appeared before his desk.

"Yes, Deluca, what is it?" he asked, turning back to his paperwork.

"Well, sir. You said you wanted to be notified when it was verified."

Dennis leaned forward intently. "And has it been?"

"Yes sir. The girl got confirmation just today."

Dennis clapped his hands, startling Deluca. A grin split his face and his eyes lit with evil glee.

"Brilliant. Thank you," he said, rising.

"Sir? Might I ask…" Deluca hesitated.

"Speak freely girl, I have to be off. The heads of the corporate office will want to know about this," Dennis said as he threw on his suit jacket.

"Why are you so excited that this mortal is pregnant?"

"Because, Deluca my dear, this baby was sired by one of our Soul Collectors. On the child's fourth birthday, if the father is present, then a portal will open allowing our people to come and go in the mortal realm as they see fit."

He grabbed his folder and a stack of papers before continuing. "Also, as an added bonus, every soul—innocent or jaded—will be sucked into said portal and become our property."

Dennis grinned again and disappeared with the usual whoosh of flame.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**Hey fellas. Thanks to everyone who has read this. Thank you for the reviews as well.**

**This is the end of this story, but the sequel is now in the works. (Thanks for the input Sage) **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this one.**


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